She reached for Lucien, but Edric only bit harder, yanking off a chunk of scales. Drake didn't react. He just drank all the wine she had left. There was half a bottle. Now, he was lying motionless on the ground, as if lifeless. "Edric! Let go!" Emma pried at his jaw, but Lucien started hurling more fire. Flames licked across Drake's tail, blackening the tips. Somehow, the fire didn't touch anything else. Either Lucien had incredible control, or he was being a petty little bird. The burning must've triggered something, because Drake suddenly growled and lifted a claw, swiping blindly. He caught Lucien midair. "Lucien!" Emma cried, rushing forward.She yanked the red bird free, but the moment he was loose, he exploded in anger again. His feathers puffed up, and he shot fireballs faster than ever, pelting Drake like a furious ember storm. They were small, but impossible to catch. Every time she lunged for one, the other dodged her reach. Emma was spinning in circles, her temper about to boil over. "Stop it! I said stop!" Drake was sprawled out cold, his scales littering the floor like shattered glass. His whiskers were bent, one completely ripped out. Emma's nerves were about to snap when she heard footsteps behind her. Silas had returned. She whipped around, eyes wide with relief. "Silas!" she shouted, nearly tripping toward him. "Help me catch these two right now!"Silas stopped dead in the doorway. The room looked like a battlefield. He hurried straight to Emma, checking her from head to toe. When he saw she was fine, his calm voice broke the silence. "What happened here? Why is it so... lively?" Lively? Emma nearly lost it. Lively didn't even begin to describe this disaster. "Don't joke right now!" she snapped. "Catch those two before they destroy what's left of this place!" If Lucien and Edric kept this up, Aquadome and Central Planet would be at each other's throats by morning. Silas' mouth twitched. He was definitely trying not to laugh. He stepped over Drake's huge tail and gave the dragon's side a few hard stomps to see if he was still breathing.Then he pulled out something from his storage band—a shimmering, strange-looking bag that gleamed under the light. He caught Edric first, stuffed him into the bag, then reached for Lucien. The fiery little bird didn't stand a chance. Silas shoved him into a small cage, slammed it shut, and tossed both toward the stairs without so much as a glance. Only then did he turn back to the black dragon sprawled on the floor. His brows furrowed. "What happened to him?" The mansion was still spotless. No scorch marks. No damage. This clearly wasn't a real fight. Emma sighed, exhausted. "They drank the fruit wine I made. They both got drunk." Silas blinked slowly. "Wine?" He had no idea what that meant. He crouched beside Drake and plucked a single green leaf from his own body.He pressed it against the dragon's snout. The leaf shimmered and melted into a golden glow that sank into Drake's skin. Within moments, the burned tail began to heal. New scales shimmered as they grew back, glistening like polished stone. Only his long whiskers stayed gone. Silas looked over his work and nodded, clearly pleased. Everyone knew his flowers could heal, but his leaves worked just as well. It wasn't perfect, but it was enough. For a Rank 11 dragon, that was more mercy than most would've given. He smiled faintly. "Emma, it's not right for Mr. Smith to stay here. I'll send him back now." He opened his lightcore and tapped a few quick commands. Within minutes, a squad of armored guards burst through the door. Silas' expression turned cold. "Mr. Smith passed out. Take him home." The captain froze the moment he saw the massive black dragon sprawled across the floor. Drake? When had he even arrived? None of them had sensed a thing. Panic flashed across their faces. They scrambled forward, struggling to lift the unconscious dragon. Good thing Drake was still out cold. If he'd been awake, they wouldn't have been able to lay a hand on him. When they finally carried him out, Silas turned to the captain, his tone sharp and cutting. "After you deliver him, every single one of you will return for punishment." The guards froze in place. He glared at them, eyes cold as ice. "Lucien ordered you to protect the huntress. Drake was here for who knows how long, and not one of you noticed." The captain dropped to one knee, head bowed low. He didn't try to defend himself. They'd failed, plain and simple. "Yes, sir." Even the Empire's strongest shield couldn't stop a Rank 11 therian. That was exactly why Lucien had stationed them here. And yet somehow, Drake had just walked right in. When the others were gone, Silas sank to one knee in front of her. "Emma, forgive me. We failed to protect you." Emma's heart skipped. "Silas, what are you doing? Get up!" She rushed forward and grabbed his arm, pulling him back to his feet. "This isn't your fault," she said. "It was an accident." No one could have predicted Drake would crash in like that in the middle of the night. At least he had passed out quietly instead of tearing the place apart. Still, after tonight, she swore she'd never hand out alcohol again.Not even one drop. She looked at the bag holding Edric and the cage holding Lucien. "They're safe in there, right?" Silas nodded with a sharp grin. "They're fine. I'll dump them in their rooms. When they wake up, they can find their own way out."